Letter-box



(No Model.)

R WESSON.

LETTER 30;;

No. 455,373. Patented Ju1 7f1891.

I 77/?) 7 1071 @CJ W mwxamu To all whom it may concern.-

, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MILEY B. \VESSON, OF FORT VORTH, TEXAS.

LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION- forming part of Letters Patent No. 455,373, dated July 7,1891'.

Application filed August 27, 1890. Serial lq'o. 363,214. (No model.)

Be it known that I, MILEY B. l VESSON, of Fort Worth, in the county ofTarrant and State of Texas,have invented certain newand usefulImprovementsin Mail-Boxes; and I dohereby declare the following to .be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part ofthis specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in mail-boxes; and it consists inthe arrange ment and combination of parts, which will be more fullydescribed hereinafter.

The objects of my invention are to place insideof a mail-box amovable-partition which is raised by the cover or lid so as to receivethe mail and then drop it into thebox as soon as the lid is closed, toattach to the lid an apron which rises in the box so as to makeconnection with the inner edge of thepartition when the lid is raised todeposit mailmatter, and thus prevent any possibility of the contents ofthe box from being abstracted when the cover is raised, and to provideamail-box which is adapted for all ordinary purposes and which willallow bundles, pa-

pers, and other such objects to be freely inserted therein without anydanger of the box being robbed. V V

Figure l is a vertical section of a mail-box which embodies myinvention, the parts heing shown in one position in solid lines and inanother position in dotted lines. Figs. 2

and 3 are sections of the upper part of the box, showing modificationsof the movable partition.

Fig. & is a perspective of the box complete.

A represents the letter-box, which may be made of metal or any othersuitable material,

I and which maybe stamped, cast, or otherwise molded in a single pieceor formed of a number of separate pieces, which may be fastened togetherin any suitablemanner. The top and bottom of this box are inclineddownward and forwardat any suitable'inclin'ation, the top being inclinedso asto shed the rain and snow and the bottom to cause any moisturewhich may get into the box in any way to move down toward the front'edgeof the box, and thus prevent the mail-matter from becoming injured.

The bottom of the box may be made corrugated, so as to prevent themail-matter from comingin contact with any moisture which may get intothe box at any time.

The lid B of the box is hinged or pivoted in any suitable manner to thebox at its rear upper corner, and is provided with flanges upon two ormore of its edges, so as to prevent any rain,snow, or'dustfrombeatinginto the box during storms. or otherwise formed with the lid 13 is theillside apron C, which moves with the lid when it is opened and closed,and which apron extends down any desired distance into the box. When thelid is raised this apron rises in the box, so as to make a closeconnection with the inner edge of the movable partition, but

when the lid is closed this apron rests against the back of the box, asshown.

An opening is made through the rear of the box 'to deposit letters, andthis apron closes and opens the opening, so that nothing can be droppedinto the box except when the lid Bis raised so as to move the lower endSecured to,'cast with,

of the apron forward and upward in the box,

and thus leave the hole uncovered.

Placed in the upper front corner of the box is the partition D, whichmaybe stationary, but whichl prefer to be movable either If it isdesired that the wholly or in part. entire partition shall be movable,it may be pivoted either at its upper outer edge; or a portion of thepartition may be madestationary and incline downwardly in the box at anydesired angle, and then a narrow partition be pivoted, jointed, 0rhinged at theiuner edge of this stationary part, and this movableportion of the partition be connected to the lid B by a suitableconnecting rod or wireF at each'e'nd. A movablepartition is preferred toa stationary one, for the reason that when the lid or cover Bis closedthe partition sinks downward intothe boxand not only causes theinail-matterdelivered upon I but enables a' it to drop down into thebox, newspaper or a package or bundle to be deposited into the box thesame as a letter, something that cannot be done where a stationarypartition is used for want of room between the inner edge of the C,which would prevent anythinglargerthan partition and the apron a letterfrom being deposited into the box. Where the partition is made :lnovableany letter, paper, or package placed upon it at once falls into thebottom of the box as soon as the lid is closed, and for the reason thatthe partition drops from underit, as shown. This partition may havepivots formed upon its upper outer corners to catch in correspondingrecesses in the ends of the box when it is being put together, and itmay have studs or projections formed near its inner corners and overwhich studs or projections the loops upon the lower ends of the rods orwires F will catch. The upper ends of the rods or wires may either bemade to catch over proj ections formed ontheunder side'of the cover ormade to catch over loops formed on the cover, or in any other way'thatmay be preferred. Theserods or wires must loosely connect with both thecover and the partition,so that when .the cover is raised the inner edgeof the partition will be also raised and come in'contact with the apronC, so asto close'the entire top of the box in such a manner that no wireor other device canbe inserted into the'box for .the purpose of robbingit. The partition D and the apron 0 both being movable, larger packagescan be inserted in the box because agreater space is left between'theinner side of the apron and the inner edge of the partition when'the lidB is closed, and the partition being movable any article deposited uponit will be dropped into the box when the partition descends with thecover. Where the partition D' is stationary and only the "apron C ismovable, it is possible to insert bent wires between the edge of thepartition and the apron, and thus abstract the contents of .the box;'butwhere :thepartition .is made movable, "insert bent wires or other toolsinto the box for the purpose of abstracting its contents. The distancethat the partition D and cover -B shall be raised is limited by smallstuds or' projections G, which are cast or otherwise formedupon theinner sides ot' the end pieces of the box.

In order to sound an alarm each timethat the cover or lid B is raisedthere is attachedto the lower corner of the apron C a dogjl, which, whenthe apron is being raised as the lid is opened, strikes against thespring-actuated gong-lever .l, and thus causes the lever to strike thegong H, but which dog I, as the apron moves back into position, turnsloosely upon the partition and passes by the upper end of the leverwithout operating it. Projecting from the end of the box upon whichthis'lever J :is pivoted is a stop or projection L, against which thelever strikes, serves to'hold the lever out of contact with .thezgong,so that it cannot deaden its sound. The elasticity of the lever causesits lower end to strike the gong H after-the lever has encountered thestud or projection L, and then it rebounds so as to leave the gong freeto vibrate. I prefer to make the dog I of a box in case theglass ormicais broken.

as here shown, it is impossible to and which thin strip of metal, whichhas its upper end bent so as to catch through two little slots in thepartition; but I do not limit myself to any particular construction inthis connection, for any other form of dog that will answer the samepurpose may be used. The sounding of an alarm gives notice to the ownerof the box that its lid is being raised, and hence he or she can be onthe lookout either for the mail that is deposited therein, or to preventthe box from being robbed.

l-linged'to-the lower front corner of the box is the door 0, throughwhich the mail is removed from the box, and which door has formedthrough it at any suitable point or points an opening which is coveredover by glass or mica, and back of which there isany suitablelattice-work to prevent access to'the This opening through the doorserves as awindow to allowthe box to be examinedto see whether there isany mail therein, and thus :prevent the necessity of having 'to .openthe lid :for this purpose.

Projecting 'froin the front'of'the'box above the door is a staple P, andprojecting from the'upper edge'of the door is the haspzQ.

l3efore access can "be had to the box'the lock must be opened, and'thenthe door'can be turned down to a horizontal or nearly a horizontalposition. At each end of 'thedoor is formed a triangular-shapedflangeR,which extends into the box when 'th'e door is closed, and which when thedoor .is opened both serves to prevent it from dropping below'a certainpoint and forming'side walls to prevent the mail-matter from dropping 0Efrom the ends of the door. The extreme inner points of these triangularflanges catch against the inner side of the 'box and limit the downwardand outward mo'vementof the door.

For the sake of security'the'screw holes,'by meansof which thisletter-box is to be secured to a post, door, or other support, are madethrough the back of the box, and the screws passed through them must beinsertedwhen the door 0 is opened. This construction prevents thefastenings being'removed and'the box stolen. If the box is to be appliedto a lamp-post or other similar metallic support,

the ordinary fastenings will be'used, and the ends of the fastenings, ifso-desired, will be passed through the back of the box.

If so desired, there will beconnected to the lid of the opening throughthe backof the box an alarm mechanism, so thatwhen the box is placedinside of the residence or 'office the raising of the lid to depositmailmiatter will cause an alarm to'be sounded.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a mail-box, thecombination ofthe'box, a cover hinged thereto at its upper inner edge, adepending apron rigidly secured to the hinged end of the said cover, ahinged partition extending downward and inward from the upper outerportion of the said box, and

a connecting-rod loosely fastened at its'ends' to the said cover andpartition, whereby the movable partition and the depending rigid apronof the cover engage when the cover is raised, for the purpose shown anddescribed.

2. In a mail-box, the combination, with the box having an opening in itsrear side, of a cover which is hinged to the upper rear edge of the boxand a depending apron rigidly secured to the hinged end of the cover andwhich rests against the inner rear wallof the box and overlaps the saidopening when the cover is closed, substantially as set forth.

3. In a'mail-box, the combination, with the box, of a'cover havingadepending apron secured to its hinged end and an alarm secured to theinner side of the box, having an operr In testimony whereof affixmysignature'in o presence oftwo witnesses.

, MILEY B. WESSON.

Witnesses:

W. BEVERLY WEST, O. L. OMBERG.

